For those that love the Lord

For those that love the Lord

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

The Lord has given us commands, if you love the Lord keep those commands. Today we have people telling us we can ignore those commands. This thread is not for those who think we can tell others to ignore Jesus' commands.

Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

These are the two commands in particular. The context of watch is the Lord's second coming. We are commanded to be watching for the signs, to know the prophecies, to be alert for what is coming. Instead many use the expression "no one knows the day or the hour" as though that absolves them of having to keep this command. If you were assigned to the defense of the nation to guard our air space from foreign airplanes and missiles I would not be very happy with you if your attitude was "hey, no one knows the day or the hour" as an excuse for not watching. Yes, we know that, that is why we have you on the wall watching. The second command is to pray always that you may be accounted worthy to escape. Today we have these teachers saying "once saved always saved" nullifying the Lord's command here. There is no need to pray always that you might be worthy to escape because if you were saved once then that is it, you have a lifetime pass to the amusement park.

Mark 13:33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. 34 For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. 35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: 36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. 37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

Who is the porter that is commanded to watch? Well Jesus was talking to the 12 apostles, so they are obviously the porter. But then He concludes "what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch". He commanded the 12 apostles to watch and then He said that same command applies to all believers.

1Corinthians 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.

While we are watching we will see some scary things. We will see millions of coffins being readied, we will see guillotines being purchased, we will see 87,000 IRS agents being hired to use guns and deadly force, we will see sorcerers deceiving the whole world with a kill shot, and we will see war, famine, and plagues coming upon this earth. So we don't simply watch, we stand fast in the faith and we behave like men. Be strong. We are on a ship heading into a monstrous storm.

1Thessalonians 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

People who are not watching are either sleeping or are not sober. If you are drunk on the worldly wine you cannot watch. If you make a giant salary from Pfizer it is very hard to watch. On the other hand if you have been lulled to sleep with the world's lullabye, all the banal, useless media they blast constantly until you fall asleep, then you too can't watch.

Revelation 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

What? Only those who are not watching are the ones who won't know what hour the Lord is coming? How can that be? Suppose I was going on a trip to Asia and you ask when will you return. I say I don't know the day or the hour, but I'll let you know. A few months later you get a message that I bought a ticket for a plane that arrives in two weeks. The New Testament is very clear on this. Two thousand years ago there was no prophecy that would tell us the day or the hour, however, if we are watching we will have a heads up prior to the Lord's coming.

Sobering

thank you

Matthew 22:40 Context

37Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38This is the first and great commandment. 39And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

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2Timothy 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

If you love God with your whole heart you would certainly love His appearing. This is a love that involves all your soul, all your mind.

Today we will hear many who have a flippant attitude, they are not pre tribulation, or mid trib or post trib, they are "pan trib" meaning it will all pan out in the end. That is the lazy man's approach. No heart, no mind, no soul in looking into these things.

I like the post have you noticed him many times Jesus actually connects his words to salvation ? How important he made the things he taught ?

“If ye love me, keep my commandments. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.”
‭‭John‬ ‭14:15, 21, 23-24‬ ‭KJV‬‬

I find it enlightening to see the repetitive nature of the truth in the Bible. He clearly says what he’s saying there but then several times he makes the same importance of his doctrine

“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

…Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.”
‭‭John‬ ‭8:31-32, 51‬ ‭

This of course is a short example just involving johns gospel but there are many repetitive times he says the same things about his words in particular bekng the one annointed to preach the gospel

The reasoning is that Jesus has been made the eternal judge of all mankind whom he died for and his words in the gospel are his judgement so

“For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
‭‭John‬ ‭5:22, 24‬ ‭KJV‬‬

We have to first hear what Jesus taught us to do and not do that’s why the gospel was sent to all people to hear it at that point we can keep it as Gods word and believe or toss it out and claim it’s not for us

a part of the gospel that gets left out alot is this part

“And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭10:42‬ ‭

this is what the judge said about his words and why what he taught is so important why keeping his words is important

“He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.”
‭‭John‬ ‭12:48-50‬ ‭KJV‬‬

God has given us life in the gospel of his son all we have to do is accept it and believe and follow that faith to salvstion but faith comes from again his word in the gospel

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭10:17‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Salvstion by faith is when we come k to his doctrine and believe

Jesus came to set us free from trying to keep all the OT laws that Pharisees (many still around today) require of others as well as themselves.

Must we rehearse Christian Liberty yet again?

Galatians 3:11

“But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.”

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Amen, ROMANS 3:31 KJV "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law." (kingjamesbibleonline.org)

This reminds me of Peter's word concerning the salvation of your souls

9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:

Watching for the Lord's return includes the redemption of our body, that is part of the salvation and something the prophets have looked into diligently.

11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

Why is it that so many are hung up on "the day and the hour" rather than "the manner of time". Jesus said it would be as the days of Noah, that is the manner of time. He said it would be as the days of Lot that also gives us a window into the manner of time.

Genesis 6:1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,

2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

3 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

According to this during the days of Noah we have Nephilim and at the end of the age we will have them again. Google Met Gala and look at the images, that is a gathering of Nephilim. Then google Met Gala Body Cake and see all these Nephilim sitting in a table around what looks like a naked body of a woman, all there eating it.

11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

This is another indication of the manner of those days.

7:6 And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.

I thought this was interesting little detail. I was wondering how old Noah was when he got the vision of the coming flood and began to build the ark? No one knows, however we do know that he had three sons at the time. I suppose they could have been toddlers, but it would be a lot easier to take on that major construction project with three sons that are at least teenagers. So let's suppose the youngest is 13 and Noah first started having sons when he was 16. Perhaps the youngest was born when Noah was 21, add 13 and you have 34 years. This is simply speculation. So then, 600-34 is 566 years. I was wondering if any big thing happened 566 years ago that might indicate the beginning of this construction project during the age of grace (Noah spelled backwards is grace). That takes us to 1456, the time when the Gutenberg Bible was first printed.

Obviously the printing of the Bible was a very big day in the age of grace, and it may have been signified by the day that Noah got the vision of this coming flood.

Also, JAMES 2:26 KJV "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." (kingjamesbibleonline.org)

yeah or James clear teaching also echoing it

“Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness,( repent )

and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. ( accept and believe the gospel that can save your soul )

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”( but actually apply what he’s teaching in his word so your not fooling yourself )
‭‭James‬ ‭1:21-22‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Or John in his latter epistles which you’ve highlighted in your post but there are so many clear statements of the same thing

“Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God.

He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.”
‭‭2 John‬ ‭1:9

it’s really as simple as Jesus made it for us we hear the gospel of the kingdom

“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭24:14‬ ‭

and whoever believes and keeps it as if it’s true and real and important to them exhibiting faith built on his word

For instance a simple example is baptism

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved;

but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭16:15-16‬ ‭

that’s. Most simple example of faith I hear this about what to do and what I’ll receive as a gift by that faith

“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins,

and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭2:38-39‬ ‭KJV‬‬

That’s why the fospel has to make its way through all nations to reach the called of God from before creation who will hear and believe and follow the lords word home to thier father

amen to your op if we will just learn from Jesus knowing he’s our lord and can save us well never fall and will always be walking by faith even at times when we stumble he’ll forgive us and pick us up d dust us off but our role is to keep walking by faith every step we learn we do t have to be perfect but in mercy and forgiveness and love for the lord and our fellow man we need to strive after perfect love and when we’ve failed repent and move forward he’s forgiving and merciful and will forget our mistakes if we repent and turn back to him every time he’s faithful if we believe and persist in our pursuit he’s always going to save those who believe even if we’re less than perfect our hearts can be set on perfection

I agree with all but the false teaching of salvation being lost.
Salvation is based on faith, not keeping commandments.

Singled out scripture that does not give the correct understanding.

Here is the correct summation for chapter 3: Romans 3:27-31

Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. 29Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, 30since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.

However, this is not the final summation.
We will see this later on in Romans.

This is what you will see prior to the Day of the Lord

Joel 1:1 The word of the Lord that came to Joel the son of Pethuel. 2 Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers?

If you are going to be watching for the day of the Lord then I think you have to pay attention to Joel. He tells you what you will see to alert you to sound the Trumpet that the day of the Lord is at hand. What you will see is something that has never happened before in history. That is weird since “pattern is prophecy”. By that we mean we can see a pattern, not the same but similar in history. But anyway, what great, worldwide event, unique in human history are we going to see?

3 Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation. 4 That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten.

This is a comprehensive attack on the economy by an army of insects. The palmerworm is the larvae of a moth, it feeds on leaves. Locusts are like grasshoppers and they will eat every green thing in the field. Think wheat, corn, lettuce, etc. The cankerworm also eats leaves, but whereas the palmerworm likes fruit trees like apples, the cankerworm likes hardwood like maple. Finally the caterpillar will eat just about anything, but they really like leaves. For an agricultural society this is an all out assault on their economy. However, every farmer has heard of these pests so based on the context that this is something that we have never seen before in history, he is using this insect army as an analogy.

5 Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth.

Again, remember the word the Lord and the apostles shared about watching. Some of those who were not watching were drunk, or they were not sober, or they were eating and drinking with the drunkards or they were asleep. The purpose of this unique attack on the economy by this “insect army” is to wake you up and to sober you up by cutting off the wine.

6 For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion.

This is a different analogy, he is now comparing this “insect army” to a nation without number. That doesn’t make sense. Every army numbers their men. Even China with 1.2 billion people numbers their men. And this army is strong, they can kill and conquer, and their teeth are like a great lion. Obviously if little tiny insects without number, most of which you can’t see, have “teeth like a lion” it means they kill and devour.

7 He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white.

But this army is destroying the vine and fig. They aren’t killing people so much as killing the countries GDP.

8 Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth.

People will be shocked, young men will be keeling over dead. Healthy, athletic, young men, just dying in their sleep.

9 The meat offering and the drink offering is cut off from the house of the Lord; the priests, the Lord's ministers, mourn.

The churches and the synagogues will be shut down.

10 The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted: the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth.

This word wasted means to be assaulted, destroyed, devastated. Imagine you have started a new restaurant, you are doing very well, but you are in debt and have to work very hard for the next five or ten years to really be successful. Then they shut you down because of the pandemic. It is too dangerous for people to come to your restaurant even though you have put tables outside. However, in the parking lot next to your restaurant they have set up large tents to feed everyone involved in shooting a movie. It is very clear that your arrangement is safer than theirs, but they are exempt from the rules of the pandemic because they are shooting a movie. You aren’t just going bankrupt, you are being assaulted, destroyed and devastated by this pandemic. I saw exactly this situation on a youtube video from a restaurant owner in LA.

11 Be ye ashamed, O ye husbandmen; howl, O ye vinedressers, for the wheat and for the barley; because the harvest of the field is perished. 12 The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field, are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men.

This word means to be put to shame or to act shamefully. The only way I can explain this is to share what happened during the pandemic. People became illogical, they mocked the president of the US for saying that you could use HCQ, something that had been used safely for 50 years and which is about as cheap as anything you can possibly get. Two years later we have many studies proving that HCQ is an effective way to deal with this. They screamed that you need to respect the science, yet two years later you can see that everything they did was not supported by science and in fact caused more harm than good. They mandated an experimental vaccine even though that was illegal. People who didn’t want to get the vaccine thinking it was “my body my choice” they castigated, fired, and forced out of their jobs. In other words it was their hysterical and illogical behavior that destroyed the economy.

13 Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God.

This hit churches especially hard. If people don’t come to the church they don’t offer money for the offering. Up until this pandemic have we ever seen a global shutdown of churches like we did then? I thought such a thing was unconstitutional and yet 98% of the pastors and priests all went along with this. The purpose was to cause you to pray, to humble yourselves, and to prostrate yourself before God.

14 Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord your God, and cry unto the Lord, 15 Alas for the day! for the day of the Lord is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.

When they shut down the world’s economy it was God saying to “sanctify ye a fast” and to call a solemn assembly because the day of the Lord is at hand. What you are seeing happen during the pandemic is an appetizer for what is about to happen.

16 Is not the meat cut off before our eyes, yea, joy and gladness from the house of our God?

You could not have public gatherings. You couldn’t have a wedding. You couldn’t have graduation parties.

17 The seed is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the corn is withered.

Now what are we seeing? Countries are going bankrupt like Sri Lanka because they stopped using fertilizer. A barn full of seeds is like a bank filled with money. However, now we have ten countries on the verge of bankruptcy and China has a real estate bubble that is about to collapse in a matter of days.

18 How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate.

They are perplexed because of ridiculous green laws that essentially bankrupting farmers so that their farms will be bought up by huge corporations.

19 O Lord, to thee will I cry: for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field. 20 The beasts of the field cry also unto thee: for the rivers of waters are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness.

This is where we are today. There is food in the grocery store, but the pastures have been devoured, herds have been culled, harvests are down significantly, and everyone is projecting major famine next year.

Go back to the beginning of this chapter. We have seen famine many times in human history, we have seen bankruptcies many times, we have seen plagues and pests many times, and yet we have never ever seen what we witnessed these last two years. Never has the entire world acted so shamefully, foolishly and self destructively. It was as though they were so terrified of this tiny “insect army” that they burned the entire economy to the ground.

Was this true 600 years ago?

Genesis 6:1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,

2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

3 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

I think it is easy today to see that this is true, but was it really true 600 years ago? This is 2022, who was born in 1422? Count Dracula.

Love is the fulfillment of the Law, God is Love, So if you are born again through the Holy Spirit you can reflect the love of God to the world

Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that has believed Romans 10:4

For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus

Are people saved by keeping Christ commandments ?

Too many have treated this matter in a simplistic manner.

GALATIANS 3:6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

You cannot do anything if you are not accounted righteous. No one wants you serving in the church if you are also a pimp, or the head of a gang, or some other criminal. You have to be righteous first. Paul was guilty of having Stephen martyred and dragging other Christians before the courts. It was faith in Jesus Christ and His blood that cleansed him of his sins and allowed him to serve in the gospel.

James 2;21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

Both James and Paul are looking at Abraham, the father of faith. Paul talks about Abraham believing God when He said he would have a son and James talks about Abraham sacrificing that child when he was 13. We are called to be absolute for the Lord. If you knew beyond any doubt that your ministry was ordained by God and was promised by God would you be willing to sacrifice it if that is what God required?

So then to your question. You are saved by faith in Jesus Christ. If you express faith in His word and His salvation it will be accounted to you as righteousness. Your sins will be forgiven and you can now become a coworker with God. Without that confession no one in God's kingdom will want to associate with you, just as they were afraid of Saul of Tarsus, they would shun you as well. If you are truly saved we would expect to see fruit of that salvation and that would include a desire to serve the Lord.

However, if you are serving the Lord and it could be a wonderful ministry of feeding the poor, or preaching the gospel, or whatever, that ministry needs to be able to withstand the cross.

Let me give you an example, the Catholic church is famous for good works. However, they have a shortage of priests and about 3% of the priests they do have are guilty of being pedophiles and preying on children. No doubt if they had allowed open investigations and prosecutions it would have been front page news and would have greatly damaged the church, opened them up to lawsuits and would have "killed" their ministry. So, rather than do that they hid it with secret judgements, trivial penalties and then shuffled these pedophiles around. If they had taken the first path and been open and transparent yes their ministry would have been crucified, but out of it their could have been a resurrection that was justified. In the long run you would have more trust in them, not less because you could see they didn't compromise with sin and they paid the full price. However, by taking the second route they are not justified, you have no trust in them and whatever good works they had are now nothing but filthy rags.

22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

You can claim to have faith, but having a ministry will make that faith perfect. You will be tried, you will be forced daily to go to the Lord in prayer, you will be adjusted, corrected, etc. Jesus said John 15:8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. The process of bearing fruit is how we become disciplined. In this analogy being "saved" gets you into the vine, bearing much fruit demonstrates that you are a disciple of the Lord.

How should we respond to the pandemic? Joel 2:1-17

In chapter 1 we learn there will be an event that takes place which has never happened before in human history. He likens it to an insect army that is too great to number, but we have had a plague of locusts before, so that is not what it is, only an analogy. He describes them marching in a line without anyone pushing anyone else, just like we saw during the pandemic with social distancing and six feet apart. He says they climb up into the windows, that they are unseen and get everywhere, so again, these aren't locusts but just like them. He likens their teeth to a lion, so we know that this army kills and devours. However he says that the primary attack is on the economy. Again, we have had famines, plagues and economic collapses in history, not that often but certainly that is not unique. He also says that He will cut off the offerings to the churches and priests. Now that is unique in US history, but not for Russia or China. But then he shares that everyone will be put to shame with their response to this. Their actions in this shutdown, whether saying "respect the science" or mocking the use of HCQ, or claiming that Cuomo is the gold standard, or DeSantis is sponsoring superspreader events, or saying there was no evidence of this coming from the Wuhan lab, or saying the vaccine is safe and effective, or that you should be masked, or shut down schools, or whatever. In every case the people acted like fools, like sheep without a shepherd. For years they boasted that only the weak need religion for a crutch. This event shows them how lost they are without a shepherd.

2 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand;

This is the proper response. Jesus said the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. The watchmen on the wall are supposed to be watching for this thief and to blow the trumpet when they see him. The pandemic is a man made plague, as is the vaccine, and they are doing this to steal. What did Nero do when the people wouldn't sell their land to him? He burned it down. First you burn down the world's economy and then they will be willing to submit to the AntiChrist rule. Just like in the movies, Satan is going to give you an offer you can't refuse: serve and worship him or get your head cut off. To convince people you are serious you need to cut a few heads off first.

2 A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.

The pandemic was an army that we have never seen before and it was a warning of what is to come, an army that no one has ever seen before on the earth, neither before this nor after this. We are not talking about the Chinese or Russians. This army is something you have never seen before. Are they giants, are they robots, are they cyborgs, are they run by AI? We'll find out soon enough.

3 A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.

There are a lot of believers who are "preppers". They are stocking up on food, gold and silver. They think that having a shotgun in the woods will keep them safe. They are thinking about the army they are familiar with, not the one they are going to see. "Nothing shall escape them". They have the tracking ability of a bloodhound, and the sight of elite super soldiers with night vision and infrared vision that can see through walls. They will have a tracking device in every person (the mark of the beast) and they will hunt down and find every person who doesn't have that tracking device. No one will escape them, that is the word of God and that is God's will.

4 The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.

Forget trying to outrun these guys. Can't do it.

5 Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. 6 Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.

Weird, just a few years earlier they were saying that religion was for the weak and they weren't weak.

7 They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks: 8 Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.

This is a highly trained, very disciplined army and you can't kill them with the sword. The military is designing these in secret bases. Think of something like these children's cartoons with people driving giant robots, or like the terminator, or Robocop, or a dozen other movies.

9 They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief. 10 The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining: 11 And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?

Do not think this is "the enemy". This is God executing His word. In the book of Job it is Satan that attacks Job, but it was done under the authority of God and based on God's criteria. If you think you are so strong you don't need God, you don't need the church, fine, let's see how you do. When you are ready to repent let the Lord know.

12 Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

This is the path that leads to salvation. Buying up food and converting your cash to silver will not save you. All you will do is attract the thieves.

14 Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God?

The people who are caught up in this can also repent. Do not treat them as your enemy, treat them as gospel prospects.

15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: 16 Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. 17 Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?

Prophecy club has set up a weekly fast to pray for our land. This is the appropriate response. This morning I was in a weekly prayer meeting with the Gideon's for our city, that is an appropriate response. All over the internet the believers are stunned and dismayed that the heathen are ruling over them, use that to motivate you to fast and pray.

How will we be delivered from the tribulation? Joel 2:18-32

18 Then will the Lord be jealous for his land, and pity his people. 19 Yea, the Lord will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen: 20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.

The purpose of what is coming to the US and to the Earth is to turn us to the Lord, to fast and pray and trust in the Lord, and to see that we need God. Therefore the sooner the believers respond the sooner they will be saved.

21 Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things.

Amen, do not focus on this army of super soldiers, rather focus on the Lord who will do great things.

22 Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength. 23 Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. 24 And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.

In chapter 1 and chapter 2 we are told we will see things that have never been seen before. But all of these things are to turn us to the faithfulness of God, something we have seen in every generation.

25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.

After the tribulation we will be fully restored.

26 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.

Only, just like Job, after the tribulation we will be stronger in our faith, stronger in our understanding and appreciation of the Lord.

27 And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.

The reason people acted so shamefully during the pandemic is they allowed the thieves and crooks to train them and teach them. Going forward we will not make that mistake again.

28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: 29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

For some reason many Christians are distrustful of people with dreams and visions. If we didn't have dreams and visions then that is what we should be distrustful of. Since we can see that the day of the Lord is at hand then we should also see this prophesy fulfilled as well.

30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.

We have already had amazing signs in the heavens from the Revelation12 sign to blood moons, and truly bizarre cloud formations. However, if those signs have not waken you up don't worry, the coming signs will be enough to shake anyone out of bed.

32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.

DTBM gives the analogy that being saved is like getting an engagement ring from Jesus. The gospel message is the story that God wants to make us His wife. If you receive the gospel and believe and are baptized that would be your accepting the proposal.

However, the wedding has not taken place yet. By God's reckoning where a thousand years is as one day, the wedding is only a couple of days after the engagement. Still, if you are unfaithful to the Lord during that time, what then?

What do you think of a woman who is sporting some guys engagement ring while being unfaithful to him? We are made in the image and likeness of God so I suspect our thoughts give us an idea of the Lord's thoughts.